Ramadan, which this year runs until the end of March, is viewed by Muslims as a time of compassion and generosity. But for others – especially those who flout fasting rules in Muslim-majority countries – it can be a period of suffering and persecution.
Liberal Muslims and those from religious minorities can be punished severely for stepping out of line during the ‘holy month’. They face harsh punishments, exclusion, and seclusion for offending religious sensibilities.
Liberal Muslims can be punished severely for stepping out of line during the ”holy month’
Several young men were arrested in Kano, northern Nigeria, earlier this month for failing to observe the Ramadan fast. Those selling food were also detained by the Hisbah Board, the state’s Islamic morality police. Deputy commander, Mujahid Aminudeen, said that the operations would continue throughout March. He warned that any “disrespect” for Ramadan would not be tolerated:
“It’s heart-breaking that in such a holy month meant for fasting, adult Muslims would be seen eating and drinking publicly. We won’t condone that and that’s why we went out to make arrests.”
People with “inappropriate haircuts”, those wearing shorts and tricycle drivers mixing male and female passengers were also rounded up.
This isn’t the first time a Ramadan crackdown has taken place in Nigeria. Eleven Muslims were arrested last year for eating during Ramadan. Those detained in 2024 were freed after promising to fast. But, this time around, there appears to be no such ‘tolerance’ from the authorities.
It’s a similar story in Pakistan, where anyone eating in public places during fasting hours risks being fined or even jailed for up to three months. Draconian Ramadan laws have been deployed to intimidate and persecute religious minorities across the country. A Hindu man in his eighties was assaulted in 2016 for consuming rice prior to Iftar, the evening meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan. In a country already beset by escalating religious prejudice, such a horrifying event set a risky precedent.
In Iran, according to the country’s Islamic Penal Code, people can be punished with up to 74 lashes or two months in prison, for breaking “Islamic rules” and eating during fasting hours, especially in public spaces such as parks, gardens, or vehicles. Thousands of businesses are temporarily forced to close, and hundreds of people are arrested each Ramadan. Two Iranian men were publicly flogged for eating during fasting hours in 2014. Foreign visitors and non-Muslim Iranians are also forced to comply.
Despite tall tales of progress and modernity, it’s a similar story in Saudi Arabia, where public eating during fasting is forbidden for Muslims, non-Muslims, and foreign nationals. Those who violate such draconian laws risk incarceration, or expulsion.
In Kuwait, publicly eating or drinking during Ramadan can result in a fine of 100 Kuwaiti dinars (£250) and jail time of up to a month. In the United Arab Emirates, public eating or drinking during fasting is punishable by a month in prison or a fine of up to 2,000 dirhams (£420). In Qatar, people caught eating or drinking in public during Ramadan face up to three months’ imprisonment and a fine of 3,000 Qatari riyals (£640).
Muslims who violate strict Ramadan laws in Oman risk incarceration, fines or arrest. Egyptian police have reportedly detained people for eating and smoking in public throughout the day in Ramadan. An Egyptian religious department authorised to issue edicts, Dar al-Ifta, has officially declared that eating and drinking during Ramadan is a ‘type of anarchy and an attack on the sacredness of Islam.’
Under the guise of ‘respecting the sanctity of Ramadan,’ these strict regulations are enforced, requiring complete compliance from both Muslims who want to fast and non-Muslims and dissenters.
Fortunately, in Britain, we are not obliged to follow the rules set down by any one religion – not least a tradition that may cause suffering to people. However, even in a supposedly tolerant nation such as ours, vulnerable members of British Muslim communities can still find themselves in trouble.
One British ex-Muslim who spoke to me on condition of anonymity was ‘disciplined’ for defying fasting during Ramadan on numerous occasions as a child.
‘Ramadan got worse when I began questioning Islam and after I left Islam,’ she tells me. ‘The stigma was exhausting; the family home felt like a minefield; everything was about prayer or getting ready for iftar or sehri. Despite knowing I had left Islam, (my family) would still pester me to read my prayers and fast.’
Her experience is unlikely to be unique. We don’t know for sure how many suffer in silence in closed communities where challenging cultural or religious edicts is frowned upon.
‘Happy Ramadan’ proclaims the lights on London’s Piccadilly Circus. But while Ramadan is indeed a time of joy for many Muslims, for others it can be anything but. We should spare a thought for those living in the UK and abroad who risk paying a heavy price for refusing to join in the festivities.
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